September’s Featured Umpire: Dave White

Dave White
Club Affiliation: St. Catharines Rowing Club
Current City: St. Catharines, ON
Number of Years Umpiring: 1-ish

What was your background in rowing before you started umpiring?

I got into rowing more as a cheerleader than anything, my wife Kellie and all four of my boys rowed, I rec rowed for one summer. I was initially recruited to drive the pontoon boats for regatta’s which I did for several years. Shortly after the passing of my wife I continued to drive and volunteer until being kinda talked into becoming an Umpire by a few other umpires that were also cherished members of Kellie and I’s social circle!

When did you become an umpire? And what interested you most about becoming an umpire?

I became a licensed umpire this summer after spending last year as an associate. Driving the pontoons taught me the beauty of this sport and highlighted the need for umpires to ensure that the races are fair and that safety is front and centre.

What has surprised you the most about the role of an umpire and is there anything you’ve learned that people outside the umpire community would find interesting about the role?

Probably the biggest surprise I encountered once I started my journey to umpire was how much actually goes on behind the scenes! If you are at a regatta and it runs smooth and ends on time and there are no problems, first you need to thank the Chief Umpire for nailing it. I would like to give credit where it is due, the organizing committee does so much hard work behind the scenes that spectators probably think it’s easy! Anyone looking to get involved will always be welcomed with open arms and there is no such thing as a regatta that can’t use an extra pair of hands and eyes!

What role during a regatta do you enjoy the most?

Of course Race Umpire is always the most exciting, you have the best seats in the house for the races.
Second for me would probably be Start Umpire, this role can be quite busy and challenging but is always very rewarding when everything goes according to schedule.

What advice would you give to new umpires or someone thinking about becoming an umpire?

My advice to prospective umpires? Hmmmm study the rule book and go into it with the expectation that it isn’t easy to get to the full umpire experience, however it is worth the journey. Life gives us so much and this could be your chance to give something back to a remarkable community!